


Is There a Policy For That?

by EnjoninePride



Category: Groundhog Day - Minchin/Rubin
Genre: Beauty - Freeform, Dork, Dorks in Love, F/M, First Dates, First Kiss, Kissing, Love, converstion, kiss, underthemoonlightkindofdate
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-21
Updated: 2018-01-21
Packaged: 2019-03-07 17:34:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13439790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EnjoninePride/pseuds/EnjoninePride
Summary: Ned Ryerson had never been so nervous in his life than on this night. He was on a date, his first date since high school, with a lovely young lady by the name of Mary Marshall.





	Is There a Policy For That?

**Author's Note:**

> Note: I have never been to Cleveland, so if you see a detail that is incorrect let me know! I always try to be as accurate as possible! Thank you and I hope you enjoy!

    Ned Ryerson had never been so nervous in his life than on this night. He was on a date, his first date since high school, with a lovely young lady by the name of Mary Marshall.  
    Saying she was beautiful was an understatement in Ned’s eyes. She had flowing firey red hair that reached down to her shoulders. Her eyes were as blue as a springtime sky. She wore a deep purple evening gown with no back with a diamond necklace and diamond earrings. Tonight, she looked like a mixture of Audrey Hepburn and Lauren Bacall with a hint of Marilyn Monroe, and boy did Ned feel lucky to have met her.  
    He met Mary at the insurance company he was working at. It was one of those average working days where clients would come in to buy or change their insurance plans. One of those clients had caught his eye. Mary didn’t talk much, instead it was he who did most of the talking. By the many times she bit her lip, smiled, and/or blushed, Ned was sure he was giving her the impression that he was a dork. At the end of their appointment, Ned handed her his business card (in a robotic-like fashion).  
“Call me if you have any questions or concerns.” he told Mary.  
Little did Mr. Ryerson and Miss Marshall know, their paths would cross again a week later at Mary’s family’s bakery.  
Ned hadn’t planned on going into that particular bakery, it was just that the one he usually went to near his work closed down, and the Marshall Family Bakery was the next closest thing.  
He opened the door to reveal the sweet smells of pastries and casually walked to the counter.  
“Hi! I would like a danish…” he began only to stop when he saw who was working the counter.  
“Miss Marshall?” Ned asked.  
Mary smiled. “Well I be darned! You’re Ned Ryerson, right?”  
“Bing!” Ned exclaimed.  
    Since it wasn’t extremely busy, Mary had time to chat with him. Ned tried his best to impress the young lady with his knowledge of insurance policies and death statistics, two of the many subjects he was quite a master in. Mary seemed to have been flattered by Ned’s attempt at “flirting”, because she gave him her number. “It’s for your questions or concerns.” she told him with that bright smile she wore.  
“Thank you. I’m sure I will have many questions...and concerns...mainly questions...I mean, I have no concerns with you--”.  
Mary giggled at his response. “Got it.”  
It took Ned three weeks until he built up enough courage to ask her out, and it only took Mary three seconds to accept. How a picture perfect angel like Mary ever agreed to go on a date with him, Ned had no idea, but all he knew was that he wanted to make it night for her to remember (in the best way he could).

 

“Lovely night, isn’t it?” Mary asked Ned as the two of them drove down the road heading to Cleveland's Edgewater State Park.  
Ned took a quick look at his date and grinned. By the way she sat, she could have easily passed off as a princess, all lady like and proper.  
“Yes! A very lovely night indeed. I mean to some, night isn’t lovely at all. night time is when death usually comes….I mean...in a metaphorical sense, you know? Just like night, death will always come, no matter who you are or where you are, or even if at what time it is. It will just come and take life away from you….” Ned explained.  
Mary giggled. “Okay, Rod Stirling!”  
Ned panicked a little. Was he making her uncomfortable? Ned was never really conscious on his actions around people, except for tonight. God, he hoped he wasn’t screwing up this date.  
“But you are right. Death, like night, always comes. No matter what.” Mary looked over at Ned and noticed how stiff he was while driving.  
“Is everything okay? You seem nervous!”  
“Oh! No no! I’m not nervous! Not one bit!” Ned exclaimed, trying to hide the fact that he was lying.  
“Hey! I promise you, I’m not the Grim Reaper if that’s what you are worried about.” Mary teased.  
“Well, if you were the Grim Reaper, you’d have to be the prettiest one I have ever seen.” Ned responded.  
Ned didn’t see, but Mary was blushing at his statement. She turned her head to look out the window.  
“Stop, here!” she exclaimed and Ned obliged. They pulled off at the side of the road overlooking the lake, with only the full moon leaving light onto the surface of the lake.  
“Come on!” Mary told as she took off her seatbelt and got out of the car. Ned followed her out.  
The two of them stood next to each other and just listened the waves crash onto the shore.  
“I hope you don’t mind! I kind of needed some air.” she explained.  
“No no! I don’t mind! Air is always good. You know, statistically, approximately 1 in 3,285 people in the US die from a lack of oxygen entering into their lungs.” Ned said.  
“Wow. I had no idea.” Mary responded.  
“Yeah. You know, I have a policy for that.” Ned told her.  
“I’m sure you do.”  
He felt Mary touch his arm, which made him feel a surge of warmth and giddiness rush through his body.  
“We should’ve come earlier when the sun was setting. But this is also amazing. The moon in the night sky.” she awed.  
“Did you know that back in Roman times, there was the belief that the changing of the moon causes insanity? That’s where we got the word lunatic from.” Ned explained.  
“I actually knew that! It was one of the few facts I remember from psychology in college!” Mary exclaimed.  
“Really?” Ned asked, not fully surprised as he figured Mary was an intelligent young lady.  
“Yeah. Well, I mean...doesn’t everyone know that? It’s sort of common knowledge in schools now.”  
Ned looked at her in puzzlement. “Really? I had no idea--” he quickly stopped when he noticed Mary rubbing her forearms with her hands trying to keep warm.  
“Oh! Here!” Ned exclaimed and took of his blue plaided coat and placed it over Mary’s shoulders.  
“Well! Aren’t you a gentleman. I could’ve just gotten my coat from the car.”  
“I just didn’t want you to catch a cold, because that cold could lead to other diseases, like TB and hypothermia.”  
Mary giggled.  
“What?” Ned asked.  
She slipped her arms through the sleeves if the coat, the length obviously too big for her petite frame.  
“Nothing.” she said.  
“Tell me! Come on!” Ned nudged.  
“You, Ned Ryerson, are unlike any man I have ever met before.”  
Ned felt very embarrassed. “Is that a bad thing?”  
Mary turned to face him. In the moonlight, Ned could make out a smile.  
“No! Not at all! I am really enjoying your company tonight. Even with the interesting facts you spew out.”  
“Sorry about those. I’m just...I’ll admit I am a little nervous. I haven’t gone on a real date since high school, if you could believe it.” Ned told her.  
“Oh, I believe it!” Mary giggled.  
Ned took her hands into his, gently caressing the back of her hand with his thumbs.  
“Mary...you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to...if you feel offended by my question, I give you every right to hit me.”  
“Do you have a policy for that?” she teased.  
Ned chuckled. “Not yet, but I will.”  
“What is it?” Mary asked.  
Ned hesitated. He knew better just to let this question go. It would probably be better if he didn’t know, yet he just had to.  
“Mary...why did you agree to go on a date with me? I mean, it’s not everyday a beautiful woman like you goes out with...a dork like me…”  
Mary giggled. “Oh! So you’re one of those men!”  
“I’m sorry! I just...I’ll take you home now…” Ned stammered, but Mary kept a good grip on his hands.  
“No no no! I’m kidding! At least you are honest and want to know. If it will make you feel any better, I’ll tell you. You’re different, and I mean that in the nicest way, than other men I have met. I mean, I don’t like those pushy guys who think they can trap any woman with a big act!”  
“But...I was trying to impress you. Isn’t that sort of a big act?” Ned asked.  
Mary nodded. “Yeah...but you were so bad at it!”  
“Oh? Oh!” Ned laughed. “Gee, thanks!”  
“You’re welcome!” Mary teased.  
The moonlight shone directly onto her face, revealing her gorgeous smile. Her dimples creased deeply into her cheeks. It was a lovely sight to see for him.  
Butterflies drastically fluttered in his stomach. Ned had never felt this much happiness than on this night. Just the sight of this woman standing in front of him, holding his hands and laughing, was enough to make him do something stupid.  
Without thinking, he leaned in and kissed Mary on the cheek. She stopped laughing and looked at him.  
Ned stepped back. “Mary! I am so sorry! I wasn’t thinking…”  
“You missed.”  
Ned gave her a puzzled look. “What?”  
Mary let go of his hands and wrapped her arms around his neck.  
“I said you missed.” she told, and lightly pressed her lips to Ned’s.  
Ned, surprised at Mary’s actions, slowly wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him.  
He felt like he was walking on air, like he was invincible. He was in pure bliss. For a moment, it seemed like time stopped. Ned had kissed a woman before, but what he and Mary shared was different from his previous kisses. This one seemed pure and real. Heat traveled through their bodies the longer they held the kiss. Ned’s mustache tickled Mary’s upper lip, but she didn’t mind. It made the experience more memorable. Mary could feel Ned smiling on her lips, making herself smiled as well.  
The two of them broke the kiss, leaving Ned speechless. Mary unwound her arms from his neck and covered her mouth, holding back a giggle.  
“I’m sorry, Ned! I should’ve asked if there was a policy for that!”  
Ned chuckled and moved his hands to entwine his fingers with her’s.  
He gazed into her eyes with such compassion and awe, even if the darkness made it a little difficult to get a clear image of the woman he had just kissed.  
“May I see you again?” he asked.  
Mary wore a large smile on her face, like a teenager would after being kissed by the hottest boy in school.  
“Now you have to!” she exclaimed.  
The two of them shared a laugh and enjoyed the rest of their first date under the full moon with the Cleveland skyline not too off in the distance.

**Author's Note:**

> Kuddos and comments are greatly appreciated!  
> Tumblr is kugirocks


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